When you delete items in OneDrive, they are sent to your OneDrive's recycle bin and are kept for 93 days before they are permanently deleted from OneDrive.
If you decide to empty your recycle bin, the items are sent to a second-stage recycle bin and kept for the remainder of the 93 days before they are permanently deleted.
Both recycle bins use up OneDrive storage. To permanently delete the items and free up storage space, you can emptyyour second-stage recycle bin:
- In OneDrive, select 'Recycle bin'.
- Click the 'Second-stage recycle bin' link at the bottom of the page.
- Select the items, then click 'Delete' to permanently delete them.
In addition to your recycle bins, if you modify or delete any items within the recycle bin during the 93 day retention period, a copy of the original content is created in a Preservation Hold Library. The copy is kept as a backup for up to 37 days. If it's no longer required, it will be sent to a second-stage recycle bin where it will be permanently deleted after 60 days.
This second-stage recycle bin is not visible to you, but consumes OneDrive storage.
If you are still needing to free up space, you can submit an IT request for these items to be permanently deleted from the second-stage recycle bin.
Visit the Microsoft website for further information about OneDrive file retention.
FAQs
You'll need to delete some files or buy more storage. Your files will be read-only, but you can download or delete files to get back under your storage limit. View Manage your OneDrive storage to empty your Recycle bin and see what's taking up space.
How do I force OneDrive to free up space? ›
How can I free up space if my OneDrive is full?
- In OneDrive, select 'Recycle bin'.
- Click the 'Second-stage recycle bin' link at the bottom of the page.
- Select the items, then click 'Delete' to permanently delete them.
Click the OneDrive taskbar/menubar icon and open OneDrive > Settings > Account > Choose folders to make sure you don't sync any unwanted to your computer. Once the sync is complete, right-click the files and folders you want to be online only and choose Clear space to remove the files from your computer.
How do I clear out OneDrive storage? ›
First, select Recycle bin in the OneDrive left side navigation.
- To permanently delete specific files or folders from the recycle bin, select those items, then select Delete in the top navigation.
- To permanently delete the entire recycle bin at once, select Empty recycle bin in the top navigation.
Files On-Demand gives you easy access to your OneDrive files without taking up storage space on your computer. But, if you view and edit a lot of files in OneDrive, those files can take up extra space. You may no longer need to store files that were downloaded when you opened them.
How do I free up OneDrive without deleting files? ›
If you need more space, you can change the file back to online only. Just right-click the file and select “Free up space.” With Storage Sense turned on, these files will become online-only files after the time period you've selected.
How do I stop OneDrive from taking up space on my computer? ›
Keep fewer OneDrive files on your PC
- On the taskbar, select Show hidden icons , right-click (or press and hold) OneDrive , and then select Settings.
- Select the Account tab (if it's not already selected), then select Choose folders.
- Clear the check boxes for any folders you don't need offline, then select OK.
To get more OneDrive storage, you have several options:
- Purchase Additional Storage: ...
- Microsoft 365 Subscription: ...
- OneDrive Referral Bonuses: ...
- Earn Extra Storage: ...
- Free Storage Offers: ...
- Student or Work Accounts: ...
- Optimize and Manage Existing Storage:
If your OneDrive account is running out of space, you can either buy more storage or clear space by deleting unused files, removing large email attachments, emptying the recycle bin, or relocating data.
How do I clear the cache and data of OneDrive? ›
To reset OneDrive on Android
Select Applications. Tap Manage Applications. Find and tap OneDrive. Tap Force Stop and then tap Clear data and Clear cache.
8 steps to clean up your OneDrive
- Empty the Recycle Bin. ...
- Check the size of your OneDrive for Business account. ...
- Remove out of date files. ...
- Remove version history. ...
- Move shared documents to SharePoint or Teams. ...
- Move private files to a personal location. ...
- Empty the Recycle Bin again. ...
- Repeat at least once a year.
When you delete a file or folder on OneDrive with one device, you won't be able to find it on your other devices. All deleted files go into the Recycle bin, where you have a chance to restore it.
How do I clear my OneDrive account? ›
How to remove an account in OneDrive
- Select the OneDrive cloud in your notification area to show the OneDrive pop-up.
- Select the OneDrive Help and Settings icon then select Settings.
- Go to the Account tab.
- Select Unlink this PC.
You'll need to delete some files or buy more storage. Your files will be read-only, but you can download or delete files to get back under your storage limit. View Manage your OneDrive storage to empty your Recycle bin and see what's taking up space. View Upgrades to see what plans and offers are available to you.
Why does OneDrive take up space on my hard drive? ›
The files on the cloud normally are synced to the hard disk so they use space. One can, however, reduce this by two ways. One can select that only certain folders are synced and others do not show at all on your PC. You can also set so that the files show but they are downloaded to PC only when needed.
Does the recycle bin take up space in OneDrive? ›
It's possible that you may have deleted files from your computer but they are still present in your OneDrive Recycle bin, which is taking up space. You can empty the Recycle bin by following step 4 above. It's also possible that you may have synced a large number of files to your OneDrive without realizing it.
Why is OneDrive free up space not working? ›
OneDrive may not offer the option to free up space due to insufficient files or outdated software. Ensure files are synced, update the OneDrive app, and check for available storage. If the issue persists, contact Microsoft support for assistance.
Why is it so hard to get rid of OneDrive? ›
OneDrive is built in to some versions of Windows and can't be uninstalled. But you can hide it and stop the sync process, so it stays hidden.
